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For U.S. Women's Open, fate of Lancaster Country Club greens rests in Mother Nature's hands

Andrew Callahan, Lebanon
Published 7:18 a.m. ET June 20, 2015

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Crews assemble the grandstand behind the 18th green at Lancaster Country Club in preparation for the 2015 U.S. Women's Open, which will be held at the club July 9-12.(Photo: Jeremy Long &#8212; Lebanon Daily News)Buy Photo

LANCASTER >> Todd Bidlespacher, the 12-year superintendent at Lancaster Country Club, can control almost everything about his golf course.

Except, that is, for the one factor that could lay waste to all of his recent efforts and those made by his crew to prepare Lancaster C.C. for its biggest showcase in more than 100 years.

Mother Nature.

Waiting on her, Bidlespacher says, is simply the nature of his business.

And with less than three weeks to go until the first official shots are hit, more than ever, the fate of the course's condition is in her hands.

"That's the thing I'm most worried about," Bidlespacher said of the weather on championship week, from July 6-12. "And it's what we can't control."

Over the seven years since the USGA handed the 2015 Women's Open to Lancaster, he's been hard at work. And it shows, from the tidy tee boxes to sprawling fairways, thick roughs and well-manicured greens — so much so that Christina Kim, the most recent pro to play a practice round, declared the course's condition "perfect."

Now, Bidlespacher's focus is on the finishes at every hole, which he hopes are firm and fast.

"The greens are our main thing," Bidlespacher said. "Once the tournament was announced, that was a top priority. And it's what we're focused on again now. That's our bread and butter, of course.

"We're trying to save some of the pin locations, especially on the greens that we're limited on. We're moving the pins to the edges, so it's a little bit more pristine for the event."

These days, outside of his tending to the greens, Bidlespacher's behind-the-scenes grounds work has become an out-front balancing act. There are the half-dozen extra grounds keepers to manage, and the dozens of newly arrived contractors on hand. And he must always face the — at times — opposing needs of the USGA and club members. His job has been to meet all requests, which for the most part has gone smoothly over the last seven years.

Under his direction, Lancaster C.C. has completely re-grassed all the greens, renovated its bunkers and refreshed the sand, while also removing hundreds of trees. There have been a few separate, USGA-mandated initiatives, such as squared tee boxes and walking paths from hole to hole.

Additionally, Bidlespacher started mowing graduated roughs more than a week ago, where the first 16 feet of grass off every fairway will be maintained at three inches. Rough beyond that will be kept at four.

Excluding the rough, all holes will be cut on a daily basis during the tournament within a two-hour morning window, and then once more at night if needed. The decision of whether to mow again, akin to many others during championship week, will depend on the weather.

"I'm really hoping it's not going to be humid," Bidlespacher said. "The (greens) get a bit more lush, and you can't be as aggressive with them as you'd like to get."

The best-case weather scenario, he says, would come in the form of a slight breeze, low 80-degree temperatures and light humidity — and most fans would agree. The spectators' position during play — specifically the set up of the grandstands — was one of the few areas in which Bidlespacher had little say.

"(The USGA) really has that stuff dialed in. They know each day of the week where the gallery's going to be. It's amazing," Bidlespacher said. "I leave that to the experts."

The ultimate on-course expert, of course, is still Mother Nature, and everything will be left up to her each day, from the first drive to the last putt. That is, unless the course somehow sustains significant damage, leaving Bidlespacher to arrive to with a fix, just as he has these last 12 years.

The only difference is the spotlight, one the veteran superintendent hopes to avoid.

"I just hope for dry weather, because if you see us on TV, it's usually not a good thing," he said. "We've been talking about it for seven years, and I would hate to get it to a good point and then have Mother Nature ruin it that week. But that's the nature of the business."